Zeke wasn't a bad guy. Reckless, sure, and he could be as dumb as a sack of shit but there was no malice in him. His brother, on the other hand, was downright mean. He was doing life without for cutting another guy's throat during a gang fight.
Zeke kinda drifted into trouble. Nothing really major, just petty stuff. Possession, shoplifting and such. And always driving on a suspended license. Always. He would get probation and get revoked time and again and call from the jail.
"Mr. Currie?"
"Yeah."
"It's Ezekiel."
"I know. What's up Zeke?"
"I'm in the jail."
"Do tell. What's up now?"
"They're gonna revoke my probation."
"What for?"
"I only had two beers and..."
"For crying out loud Zeke. The conditions of probation say 'No booze'. They do not say 'Up to two beers.' You're wearing an ankle bracelet with an alcohol alarm which goes off if you use mouthwash. I warned you. Again."
"Can you help?"
"When we get the case we'll see what we can do. Sit tight."
"I'm not going anywhere."
"That's right. You're not."
This kept happening. That was Zeke.
It came to pass that Zeke owed $20 to the Magistrate's Court to clear up a fine and he didn't have it. Nothing surprising about that. What he should have done was come to the office and find me or any attorney. We could have walked him over to the Courthouse and gone in front of the wretched Wilma and asked for an extra week. Knowing that mean spirited old heifer she would have said no in which case the very worst they could do was send him to the jail. Over twenty bucks it would have been for a maximum of four hours. He would have been told to sit in the corner, keep out of the way, been given a cup of coffee and a bologna sandwich. Four hours later he would have been out.
Not Zeke. The night before he borrowed a gun and robbed a convenience store. He got $40. As he told me in the jail he got enough for a six pack, two packs of smokes and the twenty to clear his fine. It took them just an hour to arrest him.
I blew up at him. "Just how stupid are you? Why didn't you come to the office?"
"I was embarrassed."
"Embarrassed? You're going to prison for a minimum of nine years. There isn't a damn thing I can do."
"Nine years?"
"Nine years. It's the mandatory minimum for armed robbery."
Three weeks later he pleaded guilty. No choice really. He was on camera, after all. He was sentenced to nine years.
After Zeke was taken down the judge called me over. "I had no choice Les."
"I know Your Honor, but, nine years. For forty bucks."
"I know."
Zeke kinda drifted into trouble. Nothing really major, just petty stuff. Possession, shoplifting and such. And always driving on a suspended license. Always. He would get probation and get revoked time and again and call from the jail.
"Mr. Currie?"
"Yeah."
"It's Ezekiel."
"I know. What's up Zeke?"
"I'm in the jail."
"Do tell. What's up now?"
"They're gonna revoke my probation."
"What for?"
"I only had two beers and..."
"For crying out loud Zeke. The conditions of probation say 'No booze'. They do not say 'Up to two beers.' You're wearing an ankle bracelet with an alcohol alarm which goes off if you use mouthwash. I warned you. Again."
"Can you help?"
"When we get the case we'll see what we can do. Sit tight."
"I'm not going anywhere."
"That's right. You're not."
This kept happening. That was Zeke.
It came to pass that Zeke owed $20 to the Magistrate's Court to clear up a fine and he didn't have it. Nothing surprising about that. What he should have done was come to the office and find me or any attorney. We could have walked him over to the Courthouse and gone in front of the wretched Wilma and asked for an extra week. Knowing that mean spirited old heifer she would have said no in which case the very worst they could do was send him to the jail. Over twenty bucks it would have been for a maximum of four hours. He would have been told to sit in the corner, keep out of the way, been given a cup of coffee and a bologna sandwich. Four hours later he would have been out.
Not Zeke. The night before he borrowed a gun and robbed a convenience store. He got $40. As he told me in the jail he got enough for a six pack, two packs of smokes and the twenty to clear his fine. It took them just an hour to arrest him.
I blew up at him. "Just how stupid are you? Why didn't you come to the office?"
"I was embarrassed."
"Embarrassed? You're going to prison for a minimum of nine years. There isn't a damn thing I can do."
"Nine years?"
"Nine years. It's the mandatory minimum for armed robbery."
Three weeks later he pleaded guilty. No choice really. He was on camera, after all. He was sentenced to nine years.
After Zeke was taken down the judge called me over. "I had no choice Les."
"I know Your Honor, but, nine years. For forty bucks."
"I know."
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